Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Matt Collins on January 21, 2012, 07:03:58 AM
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Im sure this has been done before, but what's the villa, English league, and world xi of your lifetime, and starting when? A mix of favourite and genuinely 'the best' is allowed. I start in 1988 and mine are:
Villa: bosnich, mellberg, McGrath, southgate, Staunton - Milner, cowans, platt - merson, yorke, young
England: schmeichel - Neville, McGrath, Adams, cole - keane, vieira - zola, bergkamp, pires - Henry
World: Casillas - cafu, desailly, koeman, Maldini - xavi, iniesta -hagi (an indulgence) messi, maradona- fat ronaldo
Obviously the last team would be dis functional but hey . . .
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Holy shit I left zidane out. Him for hagi. Although I did love hagi in USA 94. And Michael laudrup earlier. And van basten. Fantastic players. Just thinking about these players makes me remember why I live football so much and dispels a bit of my recent gloom about the game
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Born 1982 but started getting into football around the late 80's/early 90's
Villa:
Spink
Mellberg - McGrath - Laursen - Staunton
A Young - Taylor - Cowans - Merson
Yorke - Saunders
English League: Cheating a bit by picking Henry on the right side of midfield
Seaman
Nilsson - McGrath - Adams - Pearce
Henry - Vieira - Scholes - Giggs
Lineker - Zola
World: A more continental 4-1-2-3 system. Campos was more of a personal pick than a genuinely the best pick but (a) this team wouldn't need a goalkeeper anyway and (b) he doubled as a striker so could join the attack to keep himself busy
Campos
Cafu - McGrath - Baresi - Maldini
Dunga
Gullit - Xaxi
Messi - Van Baasten - Iniesta
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Similar timeframe to to the previous posters:
Villa: The teamis picked to be a functional side rather than the best player so dublin in for saunders to stop having too much similarity up front. Walker is a big call but he's the only genuinely great fullback I've ever seen at the club, we've had lots of good defenders at fullback but not many all-round players there.
Bosnich
Walker - Mcgrath - Laursen - Staunton
Merson - Townsend - Barry - A Young
Yorke - Dublin
English league: I hate having so many united players in but that team from 96-97 were awesome
Schmeichel
Neville - Mcgrath - Adams - Cole
Beckham - Keane - Vieira - Giggs
Cantona - Henry
World: This is areal toughie, there's so many options in some of the positions. Mcgrath is probably the only heart over head choice but he's far and away the best player I've seen live regularly. Again with the midfield I tried to put together a team that could actually play together.
Schmeichel
Cafu - Mcgrath - Baresi - Maldini
Xavi - Rijkaard
Messi - Zidane - Gullit
Van-Basten
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Bosnich
Barrett McGrath Southgate Staunton
Daley Platt Cowans Young
Yorke Shaw
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Spink
Gibson Evans McGrath Swain
Cowans Mortimer Bremner
Morley Shaw Yorke
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Bosnich
Barrett Ehiogu Mcgrath Staunton
Daley Milner Townsend Young
Platt
Yorke
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Bosnich
Barret McGrath Evans Staunton
Cowans Platt Mortimer
Yorke Saunders Shaw
Subs: Spink, Teale, Townsend, Morley, Milner
Missing a bit of steel maybe but it might be fun going forward. Townsend for Saunders if we are struggling.
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Villa........Withers - Gidman McGrath Laursen Aitken - Morley Cowans Merson - Yorke Withe Shaw
English League .... so what, too many imports in recent years.
World XI.........Yashin - Cafu Moore Beckenbauer Carlos-Alberto Messi Cruyff Van- Basten Maradona Pele Best
(Formation - Lev Yashin between the sticks and 10 outfield players with a football)
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Bosnich
Gidman, McGrath, Laursen, Staunton
Platt, Mortimer, Cowans, Morley
Withe, Yorke
Schmeichel
Neville, McGrath, Lawrensen, Cole
Ronaldo, Souness, Keane, Barnes
Rush, Shearer
Schmeichel
Gentile, McGrath, Baresi, Brehme
Platini, Zico, Zidane, Eder
Van Basten, Ronaldo(Brazil)
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Rimmer
Gidman, McNaught, McGrath, Staunton
Morley, Rioch, Mortimer, Milner
Little Gray
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Villa........Withers - Gidman McGrath Laursen Aitken - Morley Cowans Merson - Yorke Withe Shaw
English League .... so what, too many imports in recent years.
World XI.........Yashin - Cafu Moore Beckenbauer Carlos-Alberto Messi Cruyff Van- Basten Maradona Pele Best
(Formation - Lev Yashin between the sticks and 10 outfield players with a football)
That's saved me racking my feeble old brain, can't argue with much of that.
Great choices - especially the goalies.
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Rimmer
Gidman, McGrath, Evans, Aitken.
Little, Mortimer, Rioch, Cowans.
Leonard, Shaw.
Subs. Spink (for Rimmer after 10 mins) Laursen, Williams, Bremner, Pongo Waring ( never saw him play but must have been good to knock in 49 goals in a season)
Some of you might not remember Keith Leonard. He came through the ranks with Gidman and Little. His career was cut short through injury, which really was tragic. He could use both feet and had a great touch. Would have been a Villa legend like Sir Brian.
Might be an age thing, but I can't believe no ones picked Banks or Shilton for England/World teams